www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

I want to build a cupboard in the alcove alongside my fireplace and also a cupboard for my electric meter.
I'd like to have a go at doing this myself, my dad tells me it's dead easy!

Can anyone point me in the direction of any good web resources that will guide me through the process?

any information very much welcomed!
thanks

to make it easier
think off a series of shelves with battons and a frame scribed to the wall to hold the doors

or you can make the frame to the smallest measurement fix in place and use 3 or 6mm mdf scribed to the wall to fill the gap

you can also plan a larger gap at each side to clear things or for desighn reasons

How big will these cupboards be?

Depending on the look you require you could use MDF for the doors 18mm or 22mm depending on the size of the doors. These can be painted after and will work out fairly cheap!
You could finish the edges with a router with a ogee cutter, the options are endless

What sort of look do you want?

The house is victorian/edwardian and the cupboard i want is traditional, about a meter high, slightly deeper than the alcove itself, with one internal shelf for vids etc.

I am a complete novice and would need something to guide me thru step by step.

I'm looking for any step by step guide on the net.

cheers

MDF is easy to build with but the painting is such a pain. If you can run to it buy cabinet grade ply which will have a birch face. It is about £40 for an 8 by 4 sheet. A good wood yard will cut it down to the panel sizes for you. Use a white faced hardboard back panel to hold it square. You can cut a rebate for this with a circular saw easy enough. Allow some overhang at the back to facilitate scribing to the wall.

A Kreg pocket hole set allows a novice ot make accurate strong joints which when glued as well will make a good carcase. See http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... =1&jump=44

You can make shaker style doors by overlaying strips of 6mm MDF to form a frame affect. Use Blum type hinges.

Do a drawing and think it all through first and you should be able to turn out a nice job.

DWD

All the above, plus maybe add a nice ogee panel mould (available from good wood yards) to the shaker doors for a more ornate Victorian look....though you would need 9mm MDF strips for the desired effect to work with
the panel mould.